A little while ago, I received a phone call from a young lady starting a new business venture. The lady in question is Rachel Mason who I’d met previously whilst photographing a bridal prep session. Rachel is a contemporary hair stylist and makeup artist, with premises in Nelson. However, the new business proposal was as far removed from bridal makeup, as a Ferrari is from a Mini.

Rachel’s new venture was to provide contemporary styling in the extreme. From vibrant coloured and uniquely styled hair, to body painting. The idea sounded so unusual to me, I just had to say yes to the request to photograph the initial session as a proof of concept. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, or what was expected of the images, but I have an open mind and was quite happy to go with the flow.

The idea behind the makeovers became quite apparent as the evening progressed. Whereas everyone knows and understands the concept of a makeover, insofar as there’s makeup and hairsyling to provide the  client with somewhat stereotypical modelesque looks, this was definitely different. This isn’t about looking like anyone else, it’s about looking different, allowing the client to express themselves openly. The makeover session includes a photoshoot, again with a creative slant on it.

I’m probably not the best to describe the session, but I can vouch for the fact the girls who participated had an absolute blast, which was the whole idea.

Interested in learning a bit more about dare to be different? Rachel can be found via her dare to be different website.